Shattered Memory
by BabySnowAngel
Summary: Seven years later Heero and Duo are settling into married life when something happens changing their lives forever. Non-yoai. 2x1. Sequel to Palpitations of the Heart.
1. Chapter One

AN: Here it is!! The long-awaited sequel to Palpitations of the Heart. It would be best to read that one first. Updates for this story may take a longer time to get out has one half of our duo (no pun intended) has moved two states over. Anyway this chapter isn't much plot; that comes in the next chapter. Hope everyone enjoys!   
P.S. Watch out for the numerous cameos!   
  


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Shattered Memory   
by Miyoko and Rin-chan 

Chapter One 

"I don't know if I can do this, Meiran," Heero Yuy said to her cousin who was currently adjusting Heero's veil. It was minutes before her marriage to Duo Maxwell, and the bride was getting a case of premarital jitters. 

"Relax, Heero. Answer something for me; do you love him?" Meiran asked looking Heero straight in the eyes. 

"With my whole heart," she replied. 

"And he feels the exact same about you. So there is absolutely nothing to worry about." 

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Meiran," Heero said with a smile. Meiran smiled back as she placed the last bobby pin in Heero's hair. 

"There. All finished." Meiran took a step back. "You look amazing!" And Heero did. She was wearing a lightweight, flowing white dress with long sleeves and a scoop neck.1 

"You really think so?" 

"Would I lie?" was all Meiran gave for an answer. "It's about time to start. But before we do I want you to know that I love you, and I'm so happy to know that you have someone you love so much and loves you so much in return." 

"I love you too, and thanks for everything." The two cousins smiled at each other before Meiran lowered the veil over Heero's face. A moment later Heero's dad came up to the two. 

"Are you ready?" he asked. 

"Yeah," Heero replied taking the arm her father offered. A beautiful melody encompassed all who were present on the hill within the mountains. The notes of the flute and violin could be heard as the flower girl Marie2 scattered flower petals down the aisle followed a few paces back by the ring bearer Patrick. Wufei Chang with Stephanie Anders on one arm and Erin Foster on the other started down the aisle of flower petals. Meiran3 slowly followed on Duo's cousin Solo's arm. Her hair moved slightly with the light breeze. She smiled at her long-time boyfriend Wufei who smiled back before she took her spot by the minister. 

Everyone stood and turned towards the bride and her father although Heero didn't notice any of this. She was focused solely on the man waiting for her at the end of the aisle. She couldn't stop the ear-to-ear smile or the tears in her eyes. All her dreams were coming true. She was marrying the man she loved above all else. Her heart gave a jump at the thought that she would soon become Mrs. Duo Maxwell. 

Duo stared at the only person he could ever have eyes for, Heero. He couldn't believe that he was about to marry the most beautiful and amazing woman in the entire world. Nothing could stop the huge smile on his face at the thought of his marrying the love of his life. 

When Heero had reached the end of the aisle her father lifted her veil and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I love you, Heero." 

"I love you too, Dad," she said before kissing his cheek. He then took her hand and placed it in Duo's. 

"You take good care of her," he said to Duo. 

"I will," Duo replied smiling at Heero who smiled back. Heero's father gave a nod before stepping back. Duo and Heero turned and faced the minister. 

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses to join this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony and to dedicate them to each other's happiness and well being as lifemates and partners," the minister started. "Who gives this woman?" Heero's father replied with an, "I do." 

"If anyone should object to this man and this woman joining in holy matrimony, please speak now or forever hold your peace." Relena Peacecraft began to stand up but thought better of it. 

"Duo, Heero, please face each other and join hands." The two turned towards each other and joined hands. "Duo repeat after me. I, Duo Maxwell, take you Heero Yuy," the minister continued.4 

"I, Duo Maxwell, take you Heero Yuy," Duo repeated. 

"To be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love." 

"To be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love," he said staring Heero in the eyes. 

"I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever." 

"I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever." Duo's voice was slightly shaky. 

"I will trust you and honor you," the minister read from the book he held in his hands. 

"I will trust you and honor you." 

"I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst..." 

"I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst," Duo said rubbing Heero's hands lightly. 

"Through the difficult and the easy." 

"Through the difficult and the easy." 

"What may come I will always be there." 

"What may come I will always be there." Duo felt his heart flutter with every word he said. 

"As I have given you my hand to hold..." 

"As I have given you my hand to hold..." Duo squeezed her hands lightly. 

"So I give you my life to keep so help me God." 

"So I give you my life to keep so help me God," Duo repeated the last line. 

"Heero repeat after me. I, Heero Yuy, take you Duo Maxwell," the minister continued. 

"I, Heero Yuy, take you Duo Maxwell," Heero repeated. 

"To be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love." 

"To be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love," she said, her voice shaking. 

"I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever." 

"I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever." She was unable to suppress her tears of happiness as they fell upon her cheeks. 

"I will trust you and honor you." 

"I will trust you and honor you." Her whole body was shaking with every word she said. 

"I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst..." 

"I will love you faithfully through the best," Her voice broke slightly, "and the worst..." 

"Through the difficult and the easy." 

"Through the difficult and the easy." 

"What may come I will always be there." 

"What may come I will always be there." Heero couldn't help feeling like the luckiest girl alive. 

"As I have given you my hand to hold..." 

"As I have given you my hand to hold..." Heero squeezed his hands lightly as Duo had done to her.. 

"So I give you my life to keep so help me God." 

"So I give you my life to keep so help me God," She said in a voice barely above a whisper. 

"Do you Duo Maxwell take Heero Yuy to be your lawfully wedded wife?" 

"I do," Duo said firmly. 

"And do you Heero Yuy take Duo Maxwell to be your lawfully wedded husband?" 

"I do," Heero replied. 

"May I have the rings?" the minister asked turning towards Solo. Solo pulled out the two rings and handed them to the minister. "The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy have made to one another. Bless O God these rings, that Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives." he continued. 

Duo took the ring the minister offered and taking Heero's shaking left hand said, "Heero Yuy, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. With this ring, I thee wed." He slipped the ring onto her finger before bringing it up to his lips for a kiss. 

Heero then took the ring offered to her and took Duo's hand in hers saying, "Duo Maxwell, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. With this ring, I thee wed." She could barely get the ring on his finger as her hands were shaking so much. When she had it on she also kissed it. 

"In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the minister said joining the two together as one. 

Duo lifted his bride's veil and kissed her lightly on the lips. Heero wasn't satisfied with this as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a deep, passionate kiss which was answered with applause and catcalls from the crowd. The couple turned towards the congregation as the minister said, "I wish to announce for the first time in public, Mr. and Mrs. Duo Maxwell." The two headed down the aisle hand in hand as each of the guests let go a different colored butterfly into the air. 

When they reached the end of the aisle Duo grabbed a laughing Heero around the waist and said, "I love you Mrs. Duo Maxwell." 

"And I love you, Mr. Duo Maxwell," she replied as she leaned up for a kiss but was interrupted when a blonde woman twirled past them singing. 

"The hills are alive with the sound of music," she sang. "With songs they have sung--" she stopped abruptly when she noticed several people staring at her oddly at her. "Oops... wrong story," she said embarrassed before her clothes turned black and she opened an umbrella and flew away out of sight. 

Duo and Heero looked at each other and back to where the woman had been before laughing and kissing. 

The reception was filled with happiness and laughter and was held at a small restaurant named Beau Jo's. The newlyweds left for their honeymoon on a small secluded island two days later. 

AN: How was it? I hope it wasn't boring. It took forever to write and I wasn't totally sure on how weddings went and had to find several sources. Stay tuned for the next chapter where things start happening. 

1. Click to see what Heero's dress looks like. It's a lot better than the description... A LOT BETTER! ^^   
  
  
2. Marie's dress:   
3. Bridesmaids' dresses:   
4. I didn't know how to write the vows and consulted with someone *cough*you know who you are*cough* and she said to do it as I wrote it. So I hope it didn't get too repetitive. I really think they are beautiful vows. 

Oh and by the way the person who found the most cameos in POH was Astra. Congrats! Leave a review and we'll be in contact with you about your cameo in this story. And I'm slightly disappointed as no one, NO ONE, got any of the JAG cameos. *sniff* Anyway thanks again for reading and we hope you enjoyed! 


	2. Chapter Two

AN: Hey again! Here's the second chapter. This is where the life changing event comes in. This chapter was really hard to write and is finally finished. We hope you like it.   
  


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Shattered Memory   
by Miyoko and Rin-chan 

Chapter Two 

Heero and Duo came back from their honeymoon and moved into their small house located in the small town of Speicher, Germany. They had only been back for two weeks when Duo had to go out of town for business. It was only a couple days after he had left when Heero started feeling sick. She couldnít seem to keep anything down. It wasnít until she noticed that she had missed her period that she even thought that it was something other than the stomach flu. 

She found herself at the local drugstore looking at different pregnancy tests before she finally chose one. She paid for it and went home. When the timer went off a few minutes later. Heero was anxious and nervous. She had always wanted children but didnít know if she was ready for any this early in her marriage. She picked up the white stick and saw the pink plus sign that confirmed that she was indeed pregnant. 

Once the shock wore off Heero started a happy dance around her house and couldnít stop the smile that took over her face. The phone rang in the middle of her "Happy happy joy joy" song. she picked it up and said, "Hello." 

"Hey, you sound happy," the familiar voice of her husband sounded over the phone. 

"Duo!" she exclaimed. 

"Heero!" he replied laughing. "Whatís gotten you so hyper?" 

"Itís a surprise. Youíll have to wait until you come home to find out," she said wanting to tell him in person the happy news. 

"Heero, why canít you tell me now?" Now he was very intrigued. Heero was not very good at keeping secrets from him so this must be something big. 

"Because I want to tell you in person," she replied. 

"But Heero thatís not fair at all. Youíve got me interested, and Iím not going to stop thinking about it until you tell me." Duo was pouting by then, and Heero could hear it through his voice. 

"Youíll find out in two days." 

"Actually thatís why I called. The meeting took a lot less then I thought and Iím coming home early! My plane leaves in two hours." 

Heero didnít think she could get much happier than she already was but after hearing this news she did. "Well then I guess you wonít have to wait as long." 

"Well I better get going so I can pack and get to the airport. See you soon. I love you, Heero," he said. 

"Wait what flight are you on? Iíll pick you up." 

"JAG Airlines Flight 326." 

"Okay, Iíll see you soon. I love you," Heero said. 

"Love you too. Bye." 

"Cheerio," she said before hanging up. She started up her happy dance again at the thought of seeing her husband in a few hours.   


Meanwhile Duo thought about all the things the surprise Heero had for him could be as he packed. Did she adopt a dog? Or a cat? Did one of their close friends get engaged? Quatre and Stephanie? Or Meiran and Wufei? It continued you to bug him for the next few hours up to and while he was on the airplane home.   


Three hours after Heero had gotten off the phone with Duo she was on her way home from the grocery store with food she would use to make a welcome home dinner for him. She was listening to one of her favorite songs on the radio when it was interrupted with chimes signaling a breaking news story. Heero reached over and turned the volume up as a female reporterís voice came on before turning into her driveway and parking. 

"Just moments ago JAG Airlines Flight 326 from London to Speicher, Germany crashed just outside of Brussels. The plane exploded on impact and itís been said that there are no survivors. More information will be given as it comes in." Her whole body went numb when she heard the word "crashed." She quickly turned off her car as the shock turned to anguish as she realized what the reporter had just said. Sobs shook her body and tears blurred her eyes. 

Duo was dead. 

After being together over seven years and not even being married a month Heero couldnít believe that he was gone. "Gone" was such an awful word. It meant that she would never see him again or hold him again. And worst of all it meant her baby would grow up without a father. She couldnít stay alone in the empty house any longer so she went inside and called her good friend, Quatre Winner. 

Quatre answered his vidphone and seeing Heeroís face immediately asked, "Heero whatís wrong?" 

"Duo...he's...he's..." she broke into sobs again. 

Quatre was even more concerned now, "Duoís what Heero? Tell me." 

"Heís dead." Quatre was barely able to hear the words as she had whispered them. 

"What do you mean heís dead?!" 

"His plane... it... it crashed. Flight 326." 

"Oh my God. Heero, Iím on my way. Donít go anywhere." With that he hung up and broke many traffic laws speeding to Heeroís house. He arrived a record seven minutes later and was let in by a still crying Heero. He quickly pulled her into his arms and was unable to stop his own tears from falling. He couldnít believe that one of his closest friends was no longer with them. He felt even worse though when he thought of how much pain Heero was in now. 

Her sobs eventually slowed down and she looked up at him and said in a barely audible voice, "Quatre?" 

"Yeah," he said looking at her tear-stained face. 

"Iím pregnant," was all she said, her voice just has soft. 

"Oh Heero," was all he could say. 

"What am I going to do? I have no way of supporting us. Iíll have to get a job. Quatre, how am I going to survive?" Tears glistened in her eyes once more. "And what about our baby who will grow up without a father. I grew up without a parent and I know how hard it is. I never wanted any of my children to ever have to go through that." 

"It will be alright. I know itís not right now, but it will. Itíll be hard, but youíll make it. And all your friends will be right there to help you. You will never be alone." 

"I donít think I can live without him, Quatre. I just canít." 

"You have to for you baby and for everyone. Do you know how much it would hurt if we ever lost you?! You have to keep going and know that we are always here and will never leave you." 

"I just miss him so much. A part of my heart has died. And it hurts...so much." Tears fell down as she buried herself into Quatreís arms once again. 

"I know, Heero, but youíll be okay. I promise," he said softly rubbing her back as he made a promise silently that he would never leave Heero alone and he intended to keep it. 

AN: Please, please don't kill us! I was crying as I wrote this. It was incredibly hard, and I never want to write anything like this again. Please don't be mad at us and flame us. It all turns how well in the end. You're just going to have to trust us. Stay tuned for the next chapter. 


	3. Chapter Three

AN: Sorry this has been a long time coming. Life has been hectic. It seems as if most of you believe Duo isn't dead which is quite interesting and are 'in denial.' It's very interesting. I think I just said it but it is. New characters are introduced and some more cameos. Anyway we hope you enjoy this chapter!   
  


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Shattered Memory   
by Miyoko and Rin-chan 

Chapter Three 

Three years later...   


Butch Cassidy was a thief. He traveled around Europe stealing whenever he felt like it. He had been in an accident a few years back and didn't remember anything before that part. A man around his age had found him wandering around with only the clothes on his back and had taken him in. He turned out to be a thief and taught Butch the tricks of the trade.   


Butch was currently traveling across Germany and stopped in a small town called Speicher. He was in the middle of a shopping center looking for some pizza when it happened. He glanced up from his cart and saw her. A weird feeling he couldn't describe filled him leaving him feel warm and happy. 

She was beautiful. She had shoulder-length dark brown hair and gorgeous prussian blue eyes. Her face seemed familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen her before. She turned down an aisle, and Butch followed her discreetly. Why was she making him feel this way? He had to know. He followed her around while she did all her shopping, watched her pay, then followed her to the parking lot. 

He hot-wired a car and followed her to her small house. He watched her go inside committing the address to memory so he could come back and see if he could find out more about this strange woman. Even after she was out of sight Butch couldn't keep her out of his head. He drove back to his hotel still thinking about her.   


Three years. It had been three years since JAG Airlines Flight 326 had crashed leaving no survivors. Three years since Heero Maxwell had last seen her husband. Three years spent working full time to support her daughter and herself. And three years spent with a gaping heart which no one could ever fill. 

The only reason she was even here to this day was her daughter, Annie. Annie was her life, her pride and joy. She kept her going especially when things got hard as they were now. Annie reminded Heero so much of Duo that it sometimes hurt. She looked exactly like him minus the curly blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her personality was just like his. She always got into mischief and absolutely adored Fluffy the piranha. 

Heero walked into her two-year-old's room only to find her crawling out of her crib. "Annie what do you think you're doing?!" she exclaimed rushing over to the girl. Annie dropped to the floor and looked up at her with an innocent look on her face. 

"I wan see you, Mommy," Annie said flashing a smile. 

"Oh honey," Heero said before picking her up. It was obvious Annie Maxwell had her mother tied tightly around her little finger. "Are you hungry? What do you want for breakfast?" 

"Cheer-ohs! Cheer-ohs!" she exclaimed clapping her hands as her mother placed her in her booster chair. 

"Cheerios it is," she said before pulling down a plastic bowel from a cabinet and pulling the Cheerios out of another. She poured some in the bowel and added a little milk before placing it in front of Annie. She filled a sippy cup with milk and gave it to her. Annie started eating as Heero poured herself a bowl. 

When the two were finished Heero cleaned Annie up and dressed her before grabbing her purse and Annie's diaper bag. She fastened Annie in her car seat before proceeding to drive to Willow's and Tara's house who would watch her while Heero went to work. 

When Heero arrived she found a bouquet of roses on her desk with a note tucked in. She pulled it out and read:   
  
_My Dearest Heero,___

_ I cannot standeth one more dayeth without you by my sideth. You areth more beautifuleth than a_   
_ birdeth.Your eyes sparkleth like kitty-litter crystals._   
  
_ Loveth, Your Shiloh (not the dog)_

Heero cringed. Shiloh Overzealot had been trying to get a date with her for several years now. All he had succeeded in doing was annoying Heero until she almost went insane. 

"Maybe you should just go on one date, then tell him you don't think you connect." Heero looked up at the voice to see Ginny Weasley, one of her friends. "You can tell him that you'll go out once and if it doesn't work he has to leave you alone. Voila! You'll be finally rid of him." 

"You know, Gin, that's a bloody brilliant idea. I think I'll call him and set it up for tonight and get it over with." Heero said. 

"Good idea," Ginny said before leaving Heero's office. Heero proceeded to call Shiloh and set it up before calling Willow and Tara and asking if they could watch Annie a bit longer. Hillary, another one of her friends, came in just as she placed the phone back on its base. 

"I hear Shiloh has left something else for you," Hillary said. 

"Yes, these flowers and a note where he says 'my eyes sparkleth like kitty-litter crystals.' " Hillary laughed. 

"What is up with 'eth' after every other word and the horrible compliments?!" 

"I have no idea," Heero said. Hillary just shook her head before leaving.   


Butch wanted to steal something. That was all he could think about from the moment he woke up in the Cinq Hotel whose motto was 'Don't let the bed bugs bite!' He wandered around town looking for some easy targets. 

Around six that evening he had broken into a total of eight houses. He had dumped the countless things he had acquired that day back in his hotel room before deciding to take a walk. As he walked he happened to pass the house in which the woman he had followed the previous day lived in. He wanted to find out more about her so he decided to break into one more house. He checked for signs of the owner being home. When he found none he picked the lock on the door and entered. 

The first thing Butch noticed was how neat it was. The second was a huge tank holding what looked like a piranha. He thought it slightly odd having a piranha for a household pet. But he admitted it to himself that it was something he might do. He wondered into the spotless kitchen with a picture cluttered fridge then down the hall towards the bedrooms. He opened the door to the first one and looked in. It was a nursery decorated with baby zebras, giraffes, and bears. Butch couldn't help the smile imagining the child whose room it was. 

The next room was obviously the woman's. It was colored with all shades of blue. He poked around a little bit and noticed a picture of a little girl who he assumed was her daughter on the nightstand. Finding nothing more of interest he left and entered the family room. 

Butch was immediately drawn to the mantle where several pictures stood. Most of them were of the same little girl at different stages of her life. Only two weren't of her, rather of a wedding party and a couple. He skipped over the wedding one for the moment and concentrated on the one of the couple. Shock filled. The woman in the picture was the owner of the house. But the man was... 

"Me..." Butch let the word pass his lips. The man in the picture was indeed Butch years younger. He stared at it a question going through his mind. Why was he in the picture?   


Heero's date had gone awful just as she had expected it would. It didn't leave any hope for a relationship as it had been horrible from the beginning. She met him at the accustomed time at a fast food restaurant of all places. That in and of itself was bad but when she got to their table she was handed a small pot containing a cactus. She just muttered a thank you and sat down. 

The next thing he did was spurt off what he thought were compliments. Heero did not feel very good after hearing 'Your breath smellseth like thateth of unspoiled milk' and 'Your fingers areth as longeth as pencils.' They got their food for Heero a salad and Shiloh the whole left half of the menu and sat down to eat it. Shiloh acted like a pig and stuffed his face, only stopping to take a breath here and there. Heero felt like she was going to throw up. 

The date finally ended with Heero saying they didn't really connect, and that he should stop pursuing her and pursue someone else. Although Heero felt sorry for this 'someone else.' Heero drove to Willow's and Tara's and picked up a very happy Annie. She arrived home ten minutes later and carried a sleeping Annie towards the house. 

She opened the door to find a man standing in her house. That wasn't what had surprised her the most; it was that the man had an unusually long braid down his back. Butch hearing the door opened turned around. One word left Heero's lips. 

"Duo..."   


AN: So... so?! What's going to happen? And is Butch really Duo? Only we know the truth, and you are just gonna have to wait to find out. Anyway I think the best line in this is 'Your eyes sparkleth like kitty-litter crystals.' HAHAHA. Anyway... Hope everyone enjoyed!   
Cheerio! 


	4. Chapter Four

AN: Wow! It's been a long time. And I have a perfectly good excuse. No time whatsoever. I haven't been able to write ANYTHING! I've been in a play which just ended Saturday. So now I have time to write before I start practice for another play in a couple of weeks. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and continue to read.   
  


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Shattered Memory   
by Miyoko and Rin-chan 

Chapter Four 

Butch took one glance at the woman standing at the door before sprinting out of the house. An even stranger feeling then the one he felt when he had first seen her came over him at the sound of her voice. It wasn't just her voice that caused it, but what she had said. Duo. Why had she called him that? Who was she anyway? He pulled out his cell phone to call his friend and ask for some insight. 

"Yo," the voice on the other side of the phone said. 

"Houston, we have a problem," Butch said. 

"Butch, what happened? You didn't get caught did you?" Houston asked. 

"No, nothing like that. There's this woman..." he trailed off. 

"Oh a woman you say?!" he said suggestively. 

"I don't even know her name." 

"You whore you." 

"Houston! I haven't even talked to her." 

"And why not?" 

"Because I think I know her from somewhere. I just don't know where. I saw her, and this weird feeling ran through me. I can't describe it. But it felt..." he hesitated before continuing, "nice." 

"Interesting," was all Houston could say. 

"I broke into her house today. She came home earlier than I expected and saw me. She seemed to think I was some guy named Duo." 

"For all you know you could be. You don't know who you were before you were Butch. I think you should talk to her." 

"Maybe. I have to go. Bye." 

"So long." Butch hung up and heaved a sigh.   
  


It took all of Heero's willpower not to drop the sleeping girl in her arms. She was about to have a mental breakdown. Was she seeing things? Was that man really Duo? If so, why did he run away? These and many more questions were running through her head as she walked towards Annie's room. 

Heero gently changed Annie into her pajamas before placing her into her crib to sleep. Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked at her daughter who reminded her so much of Duo. She heard the phone ring and went to answer it. Quatre's smiling face popped up on the screen. His face fell as he saw Heero's tear-streaked face. 

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned. 

"I think I'm going crazy," she replied. 

"Why?" 

"There was a man in my house, and he looked exactly like Duo. Oh God Quatre it's been three years. Why does it hurt so much?!" Quatre's heart hurt to see his friend in so much pain. 

"Because, Heero, you two are soulmates. Nothing, not even death, can change the love you have for one another." 

"It's so hard just to survive each day. Every time I look at Annie or see that bloody piranha I think of him. I cry myself to sleep almost every night knowing that I'll never be able to see him or hear his voice ever again. It feels like a part of me has been ripped out and left a gaping hole that can never be filled," Heero said as tears continued to fall down her face. 

"It's because a part of you has died. Duo was and always will be a big part of you. You just have to know that he is always watching over you and Annie. He loves you very much, and nothing can ever change that. Never, Heero, never. Remember that," Quatre said. 

Heero wiped her tears before saying, "Thanks Quatre. You're a great friend." 

"Anytime, day or night just give me a call." He smiled. 

"Thanks." 

"Wait a minute!" Quatre exclaimed as something Heero had said earlier registered in his mind. 

"What?" Heero asked, confused. 

"You said there was a man in your house. Did he hurt you? Are you okay? Is Annie okay? Did he take anything?" A frightened look adorned his face. 

Heero was shocked for a moment before regaining her composure and saying, "No Quatre he didn't hurt either of us. He sprinted when he saw me. And as far as I know nothing was stolen." 

Quatre let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God." 

"Well Quatre I better let you go. Thanks for listening to me and helping. I really appreciate it." 

"You're very welcome. Good night Heero. Give Annie my love." 

"I will. Good night Quatre," she said smiling before hanging up the phone. It wasn't until later that she realized something had been taken. The picture of Duo and her at festival the two had gone to when they had first started dating.   


Butch walked down the street towards the center of town. He cut through a park and saw a couple arguing about something he though trivial. 

"Bob! I have nothing to wear to the vice principal dance! What am I going to do! It's only 52 days and five hours away!" The blonde girl exclaimed. 

"Laura, calm down. You'll look beautiful in anything you wear. You could wear a potato sack and still be the most gorgeous girl there," the boy with black spiky hair said, comforting his girlfriend. 

"Oh, Bob," she said before pulling him into a passionate kiss that lasted for more than five seconds. Butch couldn't help but laugh. As his laughter died away another feeling bubbled up in him. Sadness. He didn't have anyone to argue about trivial things about. He didn't have anyone at all. He sighed. 

Butch exited the park and continued down the street passing a shop which had a piranha in its window. A thought immediately sprang into his mind. Fluffy. He shook his head wondering where the thought had come from. He continued down the street and passed a school with a sign marking it as the Veit-Horn Academy. Butch had a feeling come over him as if he had been there before. 

He had to get away from there and quick. He saw a motorcycle and quickly hot-wired it. He got on and sped off thinking that he had stolen this very same motorcycle several times before. Butch needed a drink and fast. He drove to the nearest bar, parked, and entered the building. He sat down at the bar just as a song he recognized came on. It held some significance, but to what he had no idea. 

He sat next to a man with abnormally long brown bangs covering half his face. Butch ordered a drink and sat back, waiting for the bar man to bring it to him. The man with the long bangs stared at him. 

The staring continued before it finally got on Butch's nerves enough that he said, "What the hell are you staring at me for?!" 

"Duo, you're alive," the man said simply. 

"I don't know who the hell Duo is. My name is Butch." 

The man just gave him an odd look before saying, "Duo..." 

"You know you're the second person to call me that today what's up with that?!" 

"Because that's your name." 

Butch was getting frustrated with this man of few words. "How the hell would you know?!" 

"I was at your wedding." 

"I'm not married." Who was this man? 

The man simply pointed to the ring on Butch's left hand. "What's that then?" The ring had been one of the only things that linked him to who he was before Butch. 

"It's just a ring," Butch said nonchalantly. He didn't like where this conversation was headed, and the heat and sweat of the bar was getting to him. "Let's talk outside." The two threw some money on the counter before heading outside and sitting on a bench. 

Butch broke the silence. "I was in an accident about three years ago, and I don't have any recollection of anything before that." 

"Your plane crashed," the man said in explanation. 

"Why are you so sure I'm this Duo person?" 

"The braid." 

"Oh." Butch had never thought about that. But he guessed it was unusual for a man to have as long a braid as he did. 

"Who else called you Duo?" the man asked, curious. 

"Oh just this girl. She was..." Butch got a far off look before continuing, "beautiful. Brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. She had a little girl with her. All I could see was the girl's curly blonde hair." 

"Dammit!" The man exclaimed. 

"What do you mean by that?!" Butch asked perplexed. 

"It's up to you to decide what to do with this information I am about to give you. Ten years ago you met and fell in love with a girl named Heero Yuy. Seven years later you were married, and a few weeks after that you had to go out of town for business. Only you never came back. Your plane crashed, and everyone thought you were dead. I don't know what your life is like now, but you are going to have to choose between being whoever you are now or Duo Maxwell. Because it's not fair to Heero if you come back only to leave again. The only reason she has survived is because of Annie, her daughter, your daughter. And if she were to lose you again I don't think even Annie would be able to save her." The man stood up and gave Butch a look. "Think on it." He walked away leaving Butch sitting on the bench.   


AN: So how was it?! I loved Quatre in this chapter! He was just so adorable. And the Trowa conversation... I spent so much time putting everything he said into as few words as possible and then gave him a nice long speech. He had to let it out sometime, didn't you Tro-chan?   
Tro-chan: *blinks*   
Ah well now he has nothing to say. Anyway hope you enjoyed it! Cheerio! 


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